Like many fans, I was ecstatic when I heard the Dodgers swung a blockbuster trade back in the summer of 2012. I wasn’t crazy about the contact additions of Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, but having a guy who was a career .298 hitter at the time join a struggling team was awesome. In the year before his acquisition, Gonzalez hit .338 with 27 home runs. I had visions of World Series glory dancing through my head immediately.
Since then, Gonzalez has been a staple in the Dodgers’ daily lineup. If you were heading down to Chavez Ravine, chances were you would see number 23 manning first base.